Nobody’s quite sure where this one came from. It just gets made — usually on a Friday, usually when there are people around, and always with the bread already on the table because by the time the prawns are ready there’s no time to go looking for it.
We’re lucky enough to have a fishmonger in Kalk Bay we’ve been on first-name terms with for as long as we can remember. Shell-on king prawns, as fresh as you can get them. When we’re not in Cape Town, the fresh fish counter at Woolworths has always been the call. Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil goes into the pan first — the garlic and the heat are already in the oil, so you’re not starting from scratch.
Smoked paprika stirred through, prawns flat in the pan, left alone for two minutes a side. Parsley. Lemon. Get the bread ready before you start.
Chilli & Garlic Prawns
Ingredients
Method
- Peel the prawns, removing the heads and leaving the tails on. Run the tip of a knife along the back of each prawn and pull out the dark vein.
- Peel and finely chop the garlic. Finely slice the chilli — deseed it if you want less heat. Pick and finely chop the parsley leaves.
- Pour the Wilson's Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil into a shallow terracotta dish or small frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chilli and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the smoked paprika.
- Lay the prawns flat in the pan and leave them alone for 2 minutes. Turn them, scatter in most of the parsley, and cook for another 2 minutes until pink all the way through.
- Squeeze half the lemon juice over the pan, take it off the heat, and finish with the remaining parsley and a good pinch of sea salt.
- Serve straight from the pan with warm crusty bread and the rest of the lemon cut into wedges.
Notes
We Use Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil
With a dish this fast, every ingredient pulls double duty. Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil does the work of three — it’s the cooking medium, the garlic base, and the heat, all in one pour. Thirty seconds in the pan and the whole kitchen smells like something good is happening.
It handles high heat well, which is exactly what you need when you’re cooking prawns. Too low and they steam instead of fry. You want that sizzle the moment they hit the pan, and this oil gets there fast and stays there.
The flavour is assertive but not overpowering. The prawns are still the main event — the oil just makes sure they’re properly dressed for it.
Our Tips
Shell-on is worth it — The shells protect the flesh while it cooks and keep everything juicier. Leave the tails on too — they give you something to hold and they look the part on the plate.
Pat them dry — If you’re using frozen prawns, thaw them fully and pat them dry before they hit the pan. Excess water kills the heat and you’ll lose the colour and the crust. A paper towel, thirty seconds, makes a real difference.
Single layer, leave them alone — Lay the prawns flat and don’t move them around. Two minutes on the first side, then turn. That’s the whole technique. Resist the urge to prod.
Pull the pan early — The moment the prawns are pink all the way through and the tails have curled, they’re done. Take the pan off the heat immediately. Another thirty seconds is the difference between juicy and rubbery.
Use a terracotta dish if you have one — One that goes on the hob. It holds the heat beautifully and keeps everything sizzling when it comes to the table, which is half the experience of this dish.
How We Serve It
Straight from the pan — that’s the only way. The dish goes in the middle of the table while it’s still spitting, a pile of crusty bread alongside, and lemon wedges for squeezing. Everyone leans in at the same time. That’s the moment this is built for.
For two people it’s a generous starter, or a light main with a simple green salad. If you’re feeding more, scale the prawns and keep everything else the same — the oil, the paprika, the timing. It works just as well at four or six. A cold Sauvignon Blanc or a light Grenache is what we reach for alongside it.
There are no leftovers. There never are.
More Ways to Use Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil
Once Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil is in the kitchen, it gets used a lot. Here’s where else it earns its place:
Calamari — Flash-fry cleaned squid rings in the oil over very high heat for sixty seconds flat. Salt, lemon, done.
Roasted cherry tomatoes — Toss them in the oil, roast at 200°C until they burst and caramelise. Spoon over bruschetta or stir through pasta.
Grilled chicken thighs — Marinate overnight in the oil with lemon zest and fresh thyme, then braai or griddle. The chilli and garlic go deep into the meat.
Dipping oil — Pour into a shallow bowl, crack black pepper over it, serve with good bread. No recipe required.
Stir-fried greens — A splash into a hot wok with pak choi, spinach, or tenderstem broccoli. Thirty seconds, high heat, a pinch of salt.
The Good Stuff
Wilson’s Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil has a high smoke point, which means it’s built for the kind of heat this recipe needs. No burning, no bitterness — just clean, hot cooking from start to finish.
It’s naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, so it works across most dietary needs without any adjustments. The flavour comes from real ingredients infused into the oil — nothing artificial, and you can taste the difference.
Ways to Change It Up
Squid instead of prawns — Clean and score the squid, cook it the same way. High heat, short time. Two minutes maximum or it goes rubbery.
Add chorizo — Fry sliced Spanish chorizo in the pan before the prawns go in. The fat from the chorizo mixes with the oil and becomes the sauce.
Turn up the heat — Add a finely sliced bird’s eye chilli with the garlic for more fire. The oil already has heat — this takes it up a level.
Make it a pasta sauce — Double the oil, cook the prawns, then toss through spaghetti with a splash of pasta water and extra parsley. Ten minutes, one pan.
Swap the paprika — Try peri-peri seasoning instead for a South African twist. Same method, completely different flavour profile.
Questions You Might Have
Can I use frozen prawns?
Yes — just make sure they’re fully thawed and patted dry before they hit the pan. Frozen prawns carry a lot of moisture, and moisture in a hot pan drops the temperature and steams instead of fries. Dry them properly and they’ll behave exactly like fresh.
Do I have to devein the prawns?
For large king prawns, yes — the vein is prominent and worth removing. Run the tip of a knife just deep enough along the back to catch the dark thread and lift it out. It takes about a minute for eight prawns and makes a noticeable difference.
Can I use a regular frying pan instead of terracotta?
Absolutely. A small stainless steel or cast iron pan works well. The advantage of terracotta is purely the presentation — it holds the heat and arrives at the table still sizzling. A regular pan does the cooking just as well.
My prawns turned out rubbery. What went wrong?
Overcooked. It happens fast with prawns. They need high heat and a short time — two minutes a side, and off the heat the moment they’re pink all the way through. If your pan wasn’t hot enough when they went in, they take longer to colour and end up overdone before they look ready. Get the pan properly hot first.
Can I make this ahead?
Prawns are best eaten the moment they come off the heat. What you can do is prep everything beforehand — peel, devein, chop the garlic and chilli, pick the parsley. Then the actual cooking is five minutes when you’re ready.
Where do I find the Chilli & Garlic Infused Oil?
You can order it directly from us online with delivery across South Africa, or find it at leading retailers nationwide.
What bread works best alongside this?
Anything with a good crust that can handle being dragged through the oil in the pan. A sourdough or ciabatta is ideal. A fresh Portuguese roll works too — which is very on-brand for Cape Town.
More From Our Kitchen
Pickled Fish — Cape Malay Chicken Biryani — Pad Thai — All Recipes
Made this? We’d love to see.
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